There is a quote I like from Jonathan Swift. He wrote, “Falsehood flies and truth comes limping along after.” Who would have known how this quote from the 1700s would still be applicable today?
With the advent of social media, lies fly faster than ever and the truth more slowly — and often isn’t believed at all. Where I’m seeing this most is with routine childhood vaccines. More and more parents are choosing to delay or skip vaccines for their children. We are seeing the damage caused by vaccine misinformation firsthand.
Childhood vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have for preventing serious illness or death. In fact, the invention of antibiotics is second only to vaccines in terms how many lives have been saved.
Using just one disease as an example. In 1934, there were 265,269 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in the United States. 7,518 people died, the majority being kids.
In 1939, an effective whooping cough vaccine was developed. Since then, infections and deaths have drastically reduced. In 2023, there were 5,611 total cases and just three deaths. While every death is tragic, overall cases were reduced by nearly 98 percent and deaths by 99.97 percent. That’s a remarkable improvement.
Generations of parents have never witnessed a child suffering from whooping cough, measles or polio thanks to the invention of safe and effective vaccines. They never knew a sibling, cousin or friend who died or who had a lifelong disability from those illnesses.
The tremendous success story of vaccines, however, is seeing a newer, darker chapter. Beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s, myths and outright falsehoods about the risks of vaccines began to spread. Celebrities appeared on talk shows proclaiming that their child developed autism from the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, despite stacks of reliable studies showing there was no connection.
Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy accelerated in the wake of the myths spread about the COVID-19 vaccine. And social media delivered this false information directly to concerned parents.
Lost in this vaccine misinformation is data. Before the onset of vaccines, tens of thousands of children died of contagious diseases. As I mentioned earlier, we know from data that is collected, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives would have been lost to a contagious disease if current vaccines had not been available.
Because of the hesitancy caused by misinformation, many diseases once nearly eradicated are making a comeback. This past spring, local schools in Wisconsin announced cases of whooping cough. Measles, also, has popped up as fewer kids are getting the MMR vaccine. Measles is not just a virus where kids get red spots on their skin. It is often painful and, in some cases, causes brain inflammation, coma and even death. These are not scare tactics. They are facts. And they need to be stated to ensure decisions are made with all the accurate information available.
Vaccines are extensively studied and are safe
Because vaccines are given to people who are not sick, they are held to the highest proof of safety. They are tested far more than any medication or supplement that so many of us take without hesitation. The germs that cause these diseases are still around. Most vaccines have no or minor side effects. Serious side effects are extremely rare. If a child gets a disease that could have been prevented, the risks to that child and other people is much greater than from any vaccine reaction.
My colleagues at Children’s Wisconsin and I firmly believe parents and caregivers need to be their child’s advocate. We certainly understand parents will have questions about the immunizations their kids are receiving. We love that parents care so much and we are here to answer your questions.
We know your questions come from a desire to protect your kids and keep them healthy. These conversations are a great opportunity for me to educate parents about why keeping children on the recommended vaccine schedule is so important.
We have heard from parents over the years, “Why would I vaccinate when it doesn’t guarantee my child won’t get it?” That is a fair question and one we happily answer. While a vaccine may not always provide 100 percent protection, it can still significantly reduce the severity of that illness and the likelihood of hospitalization or death.
A good example of this is the flu vaccine. Some years it is not a perfect match with the flu virus that appears. But even in those years it significantly reduces severity, hospitalizations and deaths.
But let’s summarize what we know.
Vaccines — the ultimate preventative medicine
As I mentioned, other than antibiotics, vaccines have saved more lives than any other medical invention in history. It’s always better to prevent disease than to treat it once a person is sick.
Why keep on schedule
Vaccine schedules for children are carefully designed to maximize effectiveness and keep kids healthy. At Children’s Wisconsin, our schedule is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations.
- Risk. Some diseases are more deadly than others. Children are immunized early against the most dangerous diseases, protecting them at a young age.
- Positive response. Vaccine schedules take into account when kids have the best immune response.
- Interaction. Vaccines are tested to make sure one doesn’t make another ineffective. Changing the schedule could potentially cause vaccines to deactivate one another.
Common questions
What about vaccines and autism?
Study after study has proven that vaccines and autism are not linked. In fact, the author of the original study that proposed a link has been discredited for using false data. Recent studies have also identified several genes that are involved in autism. This makes more sense in explaining why autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls.
Is there mercury in vaccines?
Thimerisol, a type of mercury, was used as a preservative in several vaccines. But it is now only used in one multidose version of a single vaccine. Thimerisol is a totally different compound than the mercury we think of as a toxin. Plus, it’s a miniscule amount. It’s less than what we are exposed to on a daily basis through living in our world.
Why do babies need to be vaccinated against diseases like Hepatitis B that are spread through risky behaviors?
Hepatitis B is highly contagious from mother to baby when the baby passes through the birth canal. Additionally, a baby who contracts Hep B from mom has a 95 percent chance of developing chronic hepatitis, which can cause liver cancer. Immunizing all babies against Hep B greatly reduces the risk of contraction.
Aren’t immunizations a way for big pharma and doctors to make money?
Physicians and hospital systems don’t profit from immunizations. We immunize because we believe it’s the best way to keep kids from getting these diseases. Groups that recommend immunizations, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, are made up of independent doctors and researchers. As doctors, we look at the science and recommend what we understand is best for our patients and our own families.
Bottom line: Talk to your doctor
Your child’s health and well-being is at the heart of what we do. We understand parents are bombarded with different opinions and information and just want to do what’s best for their children. The best way to get your questions or concerns about immunizations answered is by developing an open, trusting relationships with your pediatrician. As doctors, we are continually looking at the research and ways to make vaccines even safer. Above all, we are doing what’s best for kids.
